Search This Blog

Subscribe to this blog

Follow by Email

What are you looking for from your Networking?

All business people are told that they must go Networking, why is that?

... well quite simply if you don't then where are you going to go and meet other business people?

Networking provides a convenient method for assembling local business people together in one place so they can get to know each other. Networking is not a place to necessarily get new business directly (although that does happen) but you will also find suppliers, useful connections (people you can refer on maybe), potential collaborators, learn new things, and probably get inspired.

Talking to local businesses "networking" in its current form can still leave a lot of gaps in what we really need to develop ourselves and our business. Let me start off here by saying, what we have with our current 'Networking' models is not wrong, or bad, it's just only fulfilling a couple of our many needs at best.

So what are the needs of a micro or small business?

Meet new people with a diverse range of backgrounds, experience and skills

Creativity, Innovation and Ideas, when people 'group think' it takes us to new places

The other things on the checklist

Available when we need it. We all get busy, it's a bit "Feast and Famine" for us all, certainly in the early years. (so... no pressure to be there, drop in and out, no expectations enforced by others)

Variety... keep it interesting, different people, different event types, different locations

Just as easy to stay in touch networking online as it is at physical events

High quality network of people that we can trust

Opportunity to develop new skills by leading, supporting, or contributing in some way by organising things local to where you are

No one's selling... just a group of people supporting each other to succeed

Everyone is treated the same... no one is more important than any other

Costs kept to an absolute minimum... or free

Can't be shut down and taken away from us by the government or greedy shareholders

You might be looking at the above and saying to yourself... that is a huge ask for a networking organisation to be able to deliver all of the above. Of course... existing networking organisations weren't created to fulfill the needs of our businesses, they are themselves very often businesses created for there own ends, to make a profit. They create a space for us to meet, with a format, that's their purpose. The answer actually requires a completely different approach.

There are those amongst you who will be old enough (and were in business at the time) to remember the good old Government supported Business Link, this was a service created to support small businesses. Now it has gone, people remember it with fondness although at the time it was oft slated. It was though, a place to start their journey for very small businesses, and did provide a range of free services, recognising that many of us start things off on a shoestring and money is always an issue.

In Conclusion

In order to provide an organisation that could help to create the environment described above (best for the micro and small business sector) is a big challenge, Business Link did quite well but that was a Government funded thing and we saw what happened there. The organisation ought to come from an objective of being 'not for profit' which keeps focus on providing value at the lowest cost... 'owned by the people' who are creating it... because it can't be taken off us... or shut down... or sold on.... So being operated by a set of guardians (for want of a better word) would ensure that what we 'collectively' create doesn't deviate from delivering on those things that it set out to do.

Final Words

The above is part of an initiative which has been put together over the past 5 years called Link4Growth. It is now after 5 years transitioning (completion by the end of April 2017) to being owned by those who have helped to get it where it now is; that's anyone who has been a subscriber for more than 14 months. If you would like to know more... then do get in touch ipsl.chrisogle@gmail.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I'd not even thought about a Liver Cleanse before, nor had I really heard about it either for that matter. But Greg suddenly appeared from Poland on his way back to Peru. He came to stay for a few days at my flat to see his old school friend Steve.

Having got to know Greg he shared that he offered this Liver cleanse professionally in Peru and would I like to experience it for myself. Well, as you know I am always up for new experiences and so when Greg returned from a brief spell in North Wales we started... so that was Thursday 27th September.

The whole thing is delightfully simple and Greg is extremely knowledgeable both about the process itself, and of course how it works. Basically it is a 2 day programme... and by the start of the 3rd day the effects of the cleanse can be felt.

So here is what happened...
I was instructed to fast (nothing but water) from the end of Wednesday night... then at 6pm on Thursday in the evening I took delivery of 5 bottles of liquid... 4 bottles o…

The number 7 comes up a lot in my life...What has happened in your last 7 years?

I think if we all took the time to reflect we would probably surprise ourselves in one way or another. We all lead such busy lives these days. A lot happens but is there a 'rudder' in your life? An intent or purpose or are you just being buffeted from one thing to another?

As Tolkien said in Lord of the Rings... you want to be careful going outside, every path can lead to adventures. Looking back I don't think I was particularly looking for an adventure... but as time passed that is exactly what happened. Adventures do change us, being out of our comfort zone is no easy place to be, but it is where we grow. Some brief highlights of my own journey follow. They represent some pretty key shifts in my consciousness over the 7 years...

I first answered the call back in 2011. We had witnessed the financial crash in 2007, the world would never be the same again. There was huge hope though. The Internet…

I've heard myself say it countless times and I hear it said every day too. That's what 'they' want... that's what 'they' are trying to do... 'they' are conditioning and brainwashing us...

Who are these people, 'they'? it's an interesting question. If you take the view that a few unbelievably wealthy people are controlling huge sectors of our world and are influential in making global events happen such as wars, terrorism, regime change and a whole lot more... then 'they' could be narrowed down to a 60 or 70 people. Their combined wealth being estimated at approaching 50% of the global wealth... and all this wealth in the hands of a very small 'coach load' of people.

Although the disparity between those with such incredible wealth and the vast numbers of people on this planet with hardly anything at all is not acceptable, we live in a society that actually condones it.

PROJECTS & INTERESTS

Below you will see projects, coaching & mentoring programs, ideas, and collaborative businesses I am involved with. Please do take a look, many of them have their own mini websites. (items in italic coming soon)